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About the Property

Why settle for just any beach cottage? Experience the best of both worlds: A very private little cottage in the woods on the corner of unpaved short roads that dead end into the dunes, nestled in the beautiful critical sand dunes of Lake Michigan; and yet just minutes south from downtown South Haven. It's a quiet place where families and husbands and wives can unwind from over-busy schedules, reconnect with each other, read stories together, roast marshmallows or pop popcorn over the campfire, or just swing in the hammock or the canopied glider. You can climb over the unspoiled dunes or take a stroll on the meandering path through the woods around the dunes to get to that unsurpassed view of Lake Michigan where you can play in the Lake, on the beach or walk along the uncrowded, wide sugar sand beach. (Due to our severe winters in 2014 and 2015, the erosion by the Lake shore has been quite extensive. Thus, the decline at the end of the path through the woods is fairly steep at this time and hiking through the dunes may be an easier alternative to get to our beach.)

Available all year long, experience all kinds of water activities in the summer, crisp fresh air and colorful leaves in the fall, sledding down the dunes in the winter (which can be breathtaking), wildflowers and delicate new leaves unfolding in the spring, and, of course, the Lake Michigan sunsets, which are painted uniquely each evening, no matter which season you are at the cottage. You won't be the same when you go home from this quiet, uncrowded and peaceful place. The cottage is situated in a small community of unpaved roads and is bordered on the south by a state park and backs up to undeveloped land on the north. Make this year the beginning of your family vacation tradition at this cottage in the woods.

It is the fourth cottage from the dunes and was totally renovated in 2008 with vaulted ceilings, new bathrooms, kitchen with granite countertops and a breakfast bar, hardwood flooring, appliances, mattresses, paint, decor, an outdoor shower with hot and cold water, etc. It has 3 bedrooms, sleeping six with a queen bed in the master bedroom and the second and third bedrooms. The living room has a leather sleeper which has a pull out queen bed and there is a twin leather futon and a twin roll away bed which can be put anywhere it is needed. So there are beds to sleep 10 people. NEW IN 2014 - We completed a $15,000 outdoor project that includes a huge deck, new fire pit surrounded with comfy swivel, sling style chairs, a FABULOUS outdoor kitchen with a Weber Genesis gas grill and a Bayou Classic ceramic charcoal grill, and the interior of the detached Summer House has been completely remodeled. With its large windows, beautiful ceramic tile floor and comfy conversational seating, the Summer House adds about 200sf of additional seasonal living space and provides a terrific place for bug-free and weather protected place to play games, read, chat or take a snooze.

The town of South Haven is just minutes away, a great bike ride. There you will find many more people, the blue stairway to South beach, the lighthouse, concessions and the wonderful riverwalk along the channel, a great spot to sit with an ice cream cone and watch all the different kinds of boats coming and going. The downtown area has plenty of shopping opportunities, delicious restaurants, a bakery that can't be beat and a seasonal Farmer's Market which overflows with fresh local produce and flowers. The Good Ship is docked at the Maritime Museum and can be booked for sailings; jet ski, canoe and kayak rentals can also be found downtown. The Kal-Haven trailhead begins in South Haven and the Black River is ready for canoe and kayak use.

Life along Lake Michigan is an unforgettable experience, to say the least, but to have an opportunity to actually live amongst those pristine sand dunes along the Lake is beyond comparison with in-town rentals. This is the ninyjyear this rental property has been offered, so don't wait too long to make your plans to spend a week or more in the summer or even just a couple of days in the other seasons. Your time here can make a world of difference when you go back home to your everyday life. We are sure you will want to come back year after year to climb those magnificent dunes, roast marshmallows over the fire in the fire pit, play catch together in the yard, walk the beach, hike area nature trails, and whatever else you enjoy. Just imagine the memories!

It takes approximately 4-5 minutes to walk from the cottage to the dune access and then another 3-4 minutes to get through the stunning dune area to the beach. Most of us have to climb, rest, climb, rest, etc. to get to the top of the dunes. The exhilarating effort involved is well worth it once you get to the top, see the magnificent view and then get to go down the other side! It takes about 9-10 minutes to walk from the cottage on the path through the woods around the dunes to get to the beach. The times given above are based on my walking and I am 65 years old. (My 87 year old Mother climbed the dunes the summer of 2016!) Two other options for Lake access are South Beach which is just a few minutes' drive away in town and Van Buren State Park which is just down the road and there is a paved path that goes right down to the beach.

Our other cottage in this same neighborhood is VRBO #161098. They are about a 3 minute walk from each other. Consider renting both of our cottages for larger groups providing a sleeping arrangement for 16-20. What fun that would be!!

Check out the link to our website at the bottom of this listing - flipfloprentals.com.

Queen size Beds (4) Queen bed in the master bedroom, the second bedroom, the third bedroom, and the sleeper sofa in the living room., Twin or Single Beds (2) One of these is a futon and the other one is a Roll Away Bed which can be put anywhere it is needed, Sleep Sofa or Futons (3) This is a queen size sleeper sofa in the living room.
Also there is a twin futon and a twin roll away bed which can be placed anywhere it is needed....moreless

Bathrooms:
2 Bathrooms

Other Amenities

Our 'mountains' are made of sand! You can see the sand dunes from the cottage. There is also a great fire pit to enjoy. The cottage is equipped with family books to read and indoor games to play along with tetherball and horseshoes outside for some good old fashioned fun! There is a small cooler and 9 folding chairs (one is a child size) you may take to the beach....moreless

General

We pay close attention to the condition of all of our linens and towels and they are replaced right away when necessary....moreless

Living Room

Local Activities Guide

Local Maps

Local Restaurant Guide

Paper Towels

Parking

Parking Off Street

Shampoo

Sofa Bed

Telephone

Toilet Paper

Towels Provided

Washing Machine

Wood Stove:

We have a beautiful blue Vermont Castings wood stove with double doors and a screen so it can be used as a fireplace. Some firewood is supplied to get you started on your stay. There is additional firewood to purchase just down the road. We request that you do not bring your own firewood....moreless

Kitchen

Blender

Coffee Maker

Cooking Utensils:

Quality stainless steel and glass, no plastic or aluminum. There is a family size electric griddle....moreless

Outside

Beach Chairs

Deck / Patio:

There is a huge deck partially covered with a pergola where the outdoor kitchen is located to provide some shade and lattice work on the side for added privacy. There is also an awesome fire pit!...moreless

Gazebo:

We actually call this the Summer House which adds about 200 sq.ft of seasonal living space. It is more like a detached 3 seasons porch which is all enclosed with very large windows and comfy seating for bug-free and weather protected absolutely terrific place to play games or do some reading or maybe even take a snooze....moreless

Location

Lots of seasonal festivals, many featuring the local produce from the area, wonderful outdoor ice skating rink in downtown South Haven, bowling, seasonal Farmer's Market

Owner info

Year Purchased: 2008

About the owner: My husband, Alan, and I have five children, four sons and one daughter. We recently have increased the daughters to four since our three older sons are now married.
We have taught all our children at home all the way through high school, except for our fifth who is just 15 years old and currently working diligently at his school work. We love traveling as a family and have covered a good part of the United States over the years. We also had the opportunity to go on a family missions trip to Moscow, Russia.

Why the Owner Chose South Haven, MI, USA: We choose to purchase this property in South Haven for several reasons. One is the proximity to Chicago and the main one is that we absolutely love Lake Michigan. As I grew up, my family went regularly up to Pt. Betsie, MI each summer and that cottage was right on the Lake. Since that location is too far for week-end trips, we decided on South Haven. The downtown area is lovely and it is not very touristy which we really appreciate.

The Unique Benefits at this Cottage: We enjoy being away from the bustle of downtown, yet being close enough to make quick trips for dining or shopping.
We always use the fire pit!